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Equality & Diversity Policy

Leeds Print Workshop is a Cooperative Society which provides membership based access to a range of printmaking facilities. The workshop also runs regular workshops and courses in various printmaking processes to bring new people to the medium.

Our vision:

To provide printmaking facilities for people in Leeds and surrounding areas.

To establish and maintain a vibrant, supportive and sustainable printmaking community.

Our Mission:

To provide affordable printmaking facilities to workshop members

To create collaborative opportunities to share skills, ideas and expertise

To promote and develop safe printmaking processes with consideration for the environment

Our values:

As a co-operative, we value democracy, equality, and solidarity. We act with concern for our community and work for its sustainable development through the collaborative nature of printmaking. The society will also aspire to act co-operatively and abide by the co-operative values and principles as defined by the International Cooperative Alliance.

General Statement ofPolicy

Leeds Print Workshop is committed to offering equality of opportunity and ensuring that people are not discriminated against. The Cooperative seeks to ensure that everyone is treated justly, regardless of age, disability, economic status, pregnancy, marital status or civil partnership, race, ethnicity or nationality, religion or belief, gender, transgender or sexual orientation.

The Cooperative will make all members, staff, tutors, volunteers, partners and visitors aware of this commitment.

Equality and Diversity and theLaw

The Equality Act 2010 means that, by law, organisations are required to ensure equal treatment in access to employment as well as private and public services, regardless of the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex, pregnancy, and sexual orientation. In the case of disability, organisations are under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to their workplaces to overcome barriers experienced by disabled people.

Equality and Diversity inPractice

Leeds Print Workshop offers memberships to anyone over the age of 16 (see Health and Safety Policy) who have some previous experience of printmaking. LPW does not discriminate against any individual who wishes to become a member and encourages applications from a diverse range of people.

Taught workshops for beginners are available to people wanting to learn printmaking skills to make them eligible for membership. The Cooperative offers a range of workshops and courses to members and non-members and aims to encourage equality of opportunity by making the activities available to anyone who wishes to learn skills in printmaking.

The nature of the building in which the Cooperative is based makes wheelchair access limited by the narrow width of the main entrance. The toilets and kitchenette are down a short flight of stairs and the building does not have accessible toilets. If this presents a problem for course participants or members they are encouraged to discuss their requirements with a Cooperative member so reasonable adjustments can be made to accommodate individual needs.

Responsibility

The overall responsibility for implementing the Equality and Diversity policy lies with the management committee who have a responsibility to ensure:

The policy is understood and implemented

Their behaviour at all times takes into account the sensibilities of others

Everyone is treated with respect and dignity

Behaviour in breach of the Equality and Diversity Policy is challenged

Any agreed Equality and Diversity actions are implemented

The policy is reviewed annually and any agreed changes are made

All cooperative and workshop members have a responsibility to ensure that no member, staff, volunteer, workshop user, course participant or visitor are treated unfairly or discriminated against.

Cooperative and workshop members have a duty to report any instances of inequality of opportunity or discrimination to the Management Committee.

Consultation

Leeds Print Workshop is committed to effective consultation with staff, volunteers and members on matters relating to equality and diversity. Any individual may approach a member of the Management Committee on any matter that gives them cause for concern, who shall act on any guidance given and discuss changes or decisions at Committee Meetings.

Monitoring

LPW is committed to regularly monitoring and improving the diversity of the people who become members and attend workshops.

To help with this process, workshop attendee forms are given to participants to complete which include information on their age bracket and postcode area. This helps the Cooperative to target particular groups who are underrepresented.

ComplaintsProcedure

Any member, potential member, volunteer, workshop participant or visitor may raise, either informally or formally, complaints of unfair and/or discriminatory treatment. The Management Committee will deal with all complaints fully and sensitively.

The Management Committee have a duty to discuss such complaints at regular meetings and to respond and act upon the complaint as appropriate and in a timely manner.